Liberal Citizen: Big Stakes for Obama and the Democrats.... [and, let's not forget those Americans who suffer & die unnecessarily]

Why People Laugh at Republicans

_____________________________________ Quickly, who was (is?) the "knowing lion"?

I'm happy to see them Republicans maintain their delusions and those elements of their ideology that have proven wrong. Sooner or later, a new species will have to evolve out of this.... or, extinction is looming.

Update: Oh, check the NEW REPUBLICAN PARTY chairman. This guy was just elected by the Republicans to lead their party. We should take notes, because it'll be interesting to see whether the GOVERNMENT can do anyting to get us out of this mess. No job creation, ever, by the government (he says)???!!! Is he serious?

Passing Prop 8 in CA May Turn Out to Be a Good Thing...

Keith Olberman is absolutely right! Great commentary.

Re-defining marriage, especially the "traditional" kind has been a good thing. Even in the 1960s, in 1/3 of the states, people of different races couldn't marry!

Slaves couldn't marry anyone.

Oh, and "traditional marriage" meant a union between a man and women! And, the latter didn't have any choice. Marrying for love has not been a traditional reason to get marry for most of human history!

Perhaps the passage of Proposition 8 in California is a good thing in that it may unleash a wave of change. I expect that CA will soon move in a progressive direction regarding this issue. I'm also willing to bet that not too far in the future, we'll look back at this and compare it to the days when racial prejudices and ignorance ruled human society.

A Form of Child Abuse

I have an affinity for education, but I define education as a means to learning, not indoctrination. Every child starts with a blank slate, so it's up to the parents and the society-at-large to rear this young human being into a critically-thinking adult. When you teach religion as fact--like people literally turning into pillars of salt, snakes bite the sinners, the earth is only 6,000 years old, and all that garbage--then it's a form of child abuse. It's stunting the development of the human mind and turning people into obedient ignoramuses.

Jesus Camp, anyone?!

Saving Human Lives: Cancer Deaths Can be Reduced by 50% in the US, If...

2/18/2008
Those Americans who don't have health insurance or insufficient one, they're 2-3 times more likely to be diagnosed with stage 3 or stage 4 cancer, and, thus, much more likely to die!

What's more, many of those advanced cancers were types that could have been detected early through proper screening. That suggests people without private health insurance aren't getting the best possible care when it comes to cancer prevention and early detection, the American Cancer Society says.

This is their latest press release.

__________________
As we take very expensive steps to guard ourselves from our enemies overseas, many Americans die unnecessarily here at home. What would you say if there was a way to reduce deaths from cancer by 50%? What's the way? And, why haven't we implemented it?

The American Cancer Society has started a campaign urging access to health care for all Americans, because this is the way to reduce cancer deaths by 50%! When it comes to dealing with cancer, any delay in detection or treatment, as is common among the uninsured or poorly insured, can be fatal.

The society’s campaign is rooted in solid research showing that uninsured patients suffering from cancers of the breast, larynx and mouth were much more likely to have these cancers diagnosed at an advanced stage, when they are less curable, than were patients with private insurance. As a consequence, they faced more difficult and more expensive treatments, a diminished quality of life and a greater risk of death.

"No one should have to choose between taking care of their health and paying their bills," says Richard C. Wender, MD, national volunteer president of ACS.

So, what do we do about it? Demand universal health care in the US! It should be a right not a privilege. Should people suffer & die because they don't have health insurance? Where's this culture of life they're telling us?....
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UPDATE, 1/10/2008:

"I wouldn't say it (the last-place ranking) is a condemnation, because I think health care in the U.S. is pretty good if you have access. But if you don't, I think that's the main problem, isn't it?" Ellen Nolte

Researcher Ellen Nolte and Martin McKee of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine tracked deaths that they deemed could have been prevented by access to timely and effective health care, and ranked nations on how they did.

After the top three, Spain was fourth best, followed in order by Italy, Canada, Norway, the Netherlands, Sweden, Greece, Austria, Germany, Finland, New Zealand, Denmark, Britain, Ireland and Portugal, with the United States last.

Isn't about time we all got the health care (including preventive care) that has enabled Dick Cheney and Rudy Giuliani to survive?!!.... I mean why not us too?

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Jan 12, 2008

Nooooooooo! Shocking! Can this be true?

The Consumer Federation of America's insurance director, J. Robert Hunter, said insurance companies have enjoyed robust profits and contained losses largely by "methodically overcharging consumers, cutting back on coverage, underpaying claims and getting taxpayers to pick up some of the tab for risks the insurers should cover."

Dangerous Attitudes

"Forty-four percent of the American population is convinced that Jesus will return to judge the living and the dead sometime in the next fifty years. According to the most common interpretation of biblical prophecy, Jesus will return only after things have gone horribly awry here on earth. It is, therefore, not an exaggeration to say that if the city of New York were suddenly replaced by a ball of fire, some significant percentage of the American population would see a silver lining in the subsequent mushroom cloud, as it would suggest to them that the best thing that is ever going to happen was about to happen—the return of Christ.

It should be blindingly obvious that beliefs of this sort will do little to help us create a durable future for ourselves—socially, economically, environmentally, or geopolitically. Imagine the consequences if any significant component of the U.S. government actually believed that the world was about to end and that its ending would be glorious. The fact that nearly half of the American population apparently believes this, purely on the basis of religious dogma, should be considered a moral and intellectual emergency."
Sam Harris, Letter to a Christian Nation.

With beliefs like this, who cares about climate change? Maybe Marge Simpson is right...

An Easy Step to Help the Environment

Do you get tons of catalogs that clutter your mailbox? Catalogs that you don't really use since it's easier and more up-to-date to simply use the internet? Here's something you can do to help yourself and save a few trees: Catalog Choice, a sponsored project of the Ecology Center, whose mission is to "improve the efficiency of catalog distribution by reducing the number of repeat and unsolicited mailings, and to promote the adoption of sustainable industry best practices."

Give it a try. It's free & easy.

Another case of applied ignorance!

If you live in Pago-Pago, perhaps you don't need to know much about US foreign policy as applied in the Near/Middle East, but if you live in the US, I think it's rather a patriot's duty to know what the heck is going on regarding important issues.

According to a new Newsweek poll, 41% of Americans still believe that “Saddam Hussein’s regime in Iraq was directly involved in planning, financing, or carrying out the terrorist attacks of September 11th, 2001” While 20% believe that we've found those WMDs! It's no surprise that veep Dickee and others play to these misconceptions. Appalling, don't you think?

Quoting intelligence...

"Being a cynic is contemptibly easy. If you let yourself think that nothing you're working on is ever going to make a difference, why bust your tail over it? Why care? If you're a cynic, you don't have to invest anything in your work. No effort, no pride, no compassion, no sense of excellence, nothing...

..Any good teacher will tell you that aiming at the lowest common denominator is poor practice. In communicating anything, you do better if you aim slightly above the heads of your audience. If you make them stretch a little, they respond better. If you keep aiming at the dumb ones, you never challenge them and you bore the hell out of the bright ones. You also commit the grievous and pernicious error of thinking the that people is dumb. One of the most horrific results is that the people start to think so themselves."

--Excerpts from Molly Ivins Can't Say That, Can She?

\Lib"er*al\, Adj. 1. Favoring political and social reforms tending towards democracy and personal freedoms; advocating reform or progress. 2. Not limited to or by established, traditional, orthodox, or authoritarian attitudes, views, or dogmas; open to new ideas for progress. 3. Broad-minded, not bigoted. 4. Advocate of reason & scientific inquiry. 5. Describing Democratic forms of government, as distinguished from monarchies, aristocracies, oligarchies, and all authoritarian regimes. Classical liberalism is a political and economic philosophy, originally founded on the Enlightenment tradition, that replaced the Old Regime's religious conformity & ascribed status. Individual freedom is the necessary condition for people to reach & fulfill their own potential.

*
Always recognize that human individuals are ends, and do not use them as means to your end. Immanuel Kant

*
"Those who would give up Essential Liberty to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety."
-- Attributed to Benjamin Franklin

*
"Being a cynic is contemptibly easy. If you let yourself think that nothing you're working on is ever going to make a difference, why bust your tail over it? Why care? If you're a cynic, you don't have to invest anything in your work. No effort, no pride, no compassion, no sense of excellence, nothing...
..Any good teacher will tell you that aiming at the lowest common denominator is poor practice. In communicating anything, you do better if you aim slightly above the heads of your audience. If you make them stretch a little, they respond better. If you keep aiming at the dumb ones, you never challenge them and you bore the hell out of the bright ones. You also commit the grievous and pernicious error of thinking the that people is dumb. One of the most horrific results is that the people start to think so themselves."
--Excerpts from Molly Ivins Can't Say That, Can She?

Liberal Citizen

30 September 2009

Big Stakes for Obama and the Democrats.... [and, let's not forget those Americans who suffer & die unnecessarily]

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The Role of Government

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This Liberal Citizen

Is the US Increasingly Shunning the Republicans?

Why People Laugh at Republicans

The Obama Presidency

For Those Who Want to Know

Blog Archive

Labels

My casual lounge, Aesthetics Cafe

Passing Prop 8 in CA May Turn Out to Be a Good Thing...

A Form of Child Abuse

What Are We Teaching Our Children?

Saving Human Lives: Cancer Deaths Can be Reduced by 50% in the US, If...

Disrespecting Zeus

A Very Long Walk...

Even Fools Should Have Free Speech! Idiocracy Further Exposed...

Let"s Not Forget What the Neocons & the Republicans Told Us...

Election '08 FINAL RESULTS

Worthwhile Links & Digs

Dangerous Attitudes

An Easy Step to Help the Environment

Another case of applied ignorance!

Quoting intelligence...

Understanding Evolution: We're Here 'Cause of It!

Con Artists in America

Loose Change...Not. The War Costs in $$$

Liberal Gear

Thank you for visiting!

Liberal Citizen

30 September 2009

Big Stakes for Obama and the Democrats.... [and, let's not forget those Americans who suffer & die unnecessarily]

0 Comments:

The Role of Government

Get this blog delivered to you!

Search this entire blog

This Liberal Citizen

Is the US Increasingly Shunning the Republicans?

Why People Laugh at Republicans

The Obama Presidency

For Those Who Want to Know

Subscribe To Liberal Citizen

Blog Archive

Labels

My casual lounge, Aesthetics Cafe

Passing Prop 8 in CA May Turn Out to Be a Good Thing...

A Form of Child Abuse

What Are We Teaching Our Children?

Saving Human Lives: Cancer Deaths Can be Reduced by 50% in the US, If...

Disrespecting Zeus

A Very Long Walk...

Even Fools Should Have Free Speech! Idiocracy Further Exposed...

Let"s Not Forget What the Neocons & the Republicans Told Us...

Election '08 FINAL RESULTS

Worthwhile Links & Digs

Dangerous Attitudes

An Easy Step to Help the Environment

Another case of applied ignorance!

Quoting intelligence...

Understanding Evolution: We're Here 'Cause of It!

Con Artists in America

Loose Change...Not. The War Costs in $$$

Liberal Gear

Thank you for visiting!